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[Argyle]

Thanks for the response. Seems like a good way to go for me. Anyone have a S3 on Sprint and tested out LTE speeds? Sprint's 3G speeds are so horrible so I am kind of curious how their LTE is doing. They would be my other option besides T-Mobile.

I'm on Sprint, but LTE has not launched yet in Los Angeles. What city do you live in?

Here's a link to a forum of cell network nerds tracking Sprint's LTE rollout, I'm sure you'll be able to find a thread that pertains to your area with speed test results:

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/forum/9-network-network-visionlte-deployment/

 

[kehs]

Speedwise, T-Mobile is no LTE, thats for sure, but its adequate for me:

That top result is on my WiFi here at home. The bottom result is on the T-Mobile HSPA+ network.

Its enough that all of your streamed radio is smooth, streaming from your Google music is smooth, and playing HD video from sites like Youtube is smooth. But its not break your neck speed like LTE. And the upload is very unimpressive, but I only use it for photos and so its also adequate. T-Mobile is supposedly upgrading their HSPA+ areas to 42Mbps, and they are adding LTE soon, but I dont know if the GS3 supports that for T-Mobile since none of that is live yet AFAIK.

In any case, the service Im using costs $28 a month, I bought my phone in full and own it, and I get unlimited data and text, and 100 minutes (every extra minute past that is 10 cents per minute). So for the price the speed is fine. But if you need real breakneck speed, look somewhere other than T-Mobile.

T-Mobile phones support 42, its the reason they are Qualcommed. Qualcomm chips can do the full 42.

 

[BoboBrazil]

I'm on Sprint, but LTE has not launched yet in Los Angeles. What city do you live in?

Here's a link to a forum of cell network nerds tracking Sprint's LTE rollout, I'm sure you'll be able to find a thread that pertains to your area with speed test results:

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/forum/9-network-network-visionlte-deployment/

I'm in DFW, but I was in the Sprint store closest to me earlier and the thing was running 3G. I think my area is supposed to already have 4G based on Sprint's coverage map on their site.

 

[rc213]

Speedwise, T-Mobile is no LTE, thats for sure, but its adequate for me:

That top result is on my WiFi here at home. The bottom result is on the T-Mobile HSPA+ network.

Its enough that all of your streamed radio is smooth, streaming from your Google music is smooth, and playing HD video from sites like Youtube is smooth. But its not break your neck speed like LTE. And the upload is very unimpressive, but I only use it for photos and so its also adequate. T-Mobile is supposedly upgrading their HSPA+ areas to 42Mbps, and they are adding LTE soon, but I dont know if the GS3 supports that for T-Mobile since none of that is live yet AFAIK.

In any case, the service Im using costs $28 a month, I bought my phone in full and own it, and I get unlimited data and text, and 100 minutes (every extra minute past that is 10 cents per minute). So for the price the speed is fine. But if you need real breakneck speed, look somewhere other than T-Mobile.

Pretty much the same experience in Los Angeles with T-Mobile, Same exact plan too with a Galaxy SIII. I also got the handset insurance for an extra $7 a month.

 

[marrec]

Anyone have any experience with Running Armbands and the Galaxy S3? I'm looking on Amazon but there doesn't seem to be a definitive brand that will FOR SURE fit.

 

[Jazzy Network]

I'm in DFW, but I was in the Sprint store closest to me earlier and the thing was running 3G. I think my area is supposed to already have 4G based on Sprint's coverage map on their site.

WiMax or LTE? Sprint phones with Wimax don't have LTE and vice versa. If you only have 3G, I wouldn't subscribe to Sprint.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

Anyone have any experience with Running Armbands and the Galaxy S3? I'm looking on Amazon but there doesn't seem to be a definitive brand that will FOR SURE fit.

I'm interested in recommendations to this question as well. Running while carrying my S3 is awkward as fuck.

 

[TimeKillr]

So I installed CM10 yesterday and OH WOW.

I can't wait for it to be fully finished (I have a few weird issues with LTE reception and my phone going back down to HSPA+ a lot, which screws up the connection and makes it kinda annoying) but generally it's such a crazy step up from TouchWiz it's not even funny.

The *only* thing I appreciated on TouchWiz was the S-Calendar widget, and I'm sure I can get a good calendar widget eventually. Google's calendar app is absolutely *horrible* in month view - I understand they're doing it so that it scales to different resolutions well, but there's zero text in it, just black squares when there's events.

Also I keep hearing that people use the messaging app with a black theme, but I have no idea how to enable that.

Generally though, it's so stupidly speedy and MUCH MORE responsive than TouchWiz it's not even funny. I have this shitty lag when I get a phone call on TouchWiz where the screen takes a little while to respond, which is just shitty. The same can be said of the lock screen and such. With CM10, everything is butter smooth, no delays, nothing. Also there's no increasing ringtone by default that you can't turn off (ugh). The only thing I'd like more for CM10 (and I probably could do something with the lockscreen) is that TouchWiz turns on the screen and shows a little icon on the screen when you get a text message that you can swipe from to open the texting app - not only does the screen not turn on when I get a message, but I can't do that automatically. The swipe isn't a huge deal, but the turning the screen on I would definitely love, as when I'm at work, I leave my phone on my desk within view, so when the gf texts me it's super easy to see.

 

[BoboBrazil]

WiMax or LTE? Sprint phones with Wimax don't have LTE and vice versa. If you only have 3G, I wouldn't subscribe to Sprint.

Well the Iphone 5 and Galaxy S3 are only 3G and LTE right? So apparently at the store by me there is no 4G yet, I'm kind of on an outer area of LTE coverage though supposedly by Sprint's map.

 

[this_guy]

Thanks for the response. Seems like a good way to go for me. Anyone have a S3 on Sprint and tested out LTE speeds? Sprint's 3G speeds are so horrible so I am kind of curious how their LTE is doing. They would be my other option besides T-Mobile.

I have sprint in Houston. The network is still being built out, so I'd say I'm getting LTE 30% of the time and 3G the rest of the time. Overall it's still much better than WiMAX ever was. On LTE I get download speeds typically 5-20mb, with a few speedtests around 30-32mb with a strong signal. Uploads typically in the 4-11mb range.

 

[LogicStep]

Nevermind, for some reason gps doesn't work at home but I tested it while I was out driving and it worked.

 

[Vaco6121]

Sure, I wouldn't mind taking a look

I was the 7th row VIP with all the speakers right in front of me, so the phone picked a lot of the bass, so some songs sound horrible. Here are some that turned out decently.

Alice Cooper Poison

Iron Maiden Number of the Beast

Iron Maiden Run to the Hills

I have more videos, but the bass is overwhelming when you not watching on the phone itself.

 

[Mesoian]

This thread only serves to remind me just how throttled down my grandfathered unlimited verizon 4g plan is.

 

[Slayer-33]

Kinda OT:

Does anyone have the S2 with boost in NYC? Can you tell me how the WiMAX 4g is working out for you?

 

[Spiritreaver]

The Otterbox Commuter is fucking terrible. I only had it on for a day, and it left an indent on the top left silver trim piece of my phone. That case also adds way too much bulk to an already kind of bulky phone.

Not sure about the other case, but stay away from the Otterbox.

Thanks for the info. I've spent the better part of my day looking at reviews and forums trying to look for a decent case. Finally ended up with this UAG case.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008EPW1MI/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[surly]

If anyone is using Apex Launcher, don't update to the latest version! It's borked and the app is receiving a bunch of 1 star reviews from unhappy users. It'll be fixed, I'm sure, but for now disable auto-update for that app.

Apparently the JB update for the S3 has started rolling out too, beginning in Poland.

 

[nib95]

If anyone is using Apex Launcher, don't update to the latest version! It's borked and the app is receiving a bunch of 1 star reviews from unhappy users. It'll be fixed, I'm sure, but for now disable auto-update for that app.

Apparently the JB update for the S3 has started rolling out too, beginning in Poland.

What?!! As in, officially? That's awesome news! I guess Samsung wanted to put an end to the iPhone 5 benchmark dominance (outside of pure GPU).

Can't wait. Main thing I'm interested in is Google Now. Based on the voice search built in to the Android Youtube app and Navigation, I expect it to be amazingly accurate. Hell, the Youtube app even picked up some Japanese video titles, and I said them as I would normally without any slowed down vocals etc.

 

[Mesoian]

I was the 7th row VIP with all the speakers right in front of me, so the phone picked a lot of the bass, so some songs sound horrible. Here are some that turned out decently.

Alice Cooper Poison

Iron Maiden Number of the Beast

Iron Maiden Run to the Hills

I have more videos, but the bass is overwhelming when you not watching on the phone itself.

Those seem fine. The audio quality is what you'd expect. I take it on the Alice Cooper video, you were using the digital zoom?

I'm gonna see about ordering one today if Amazon can get me the phone for 150. I was having a little trouble last week.

 

[surly]

What?!! As in, officially? That's awesome news! I guess Samsung wanted to put an end to the iPhone 5 benchmark dominance (outside of pure GPU).

Yeah man! Here's an article about it: -

http://www.techradar.com/news/phone...3-jelly-bean-update-arrives-in-poland-1099245

Samsung have also confirmed that it's gradually being rolled out in other markets.

 

[darkpaladinmfc]

So I'm getting this phone tomorrow, should I update to the official TouchWiz JB or use something like CM10 straight away?

 

[nib95]

Yeah man! Here's an article about it: -

http://www.techradar.com/news/phone...3-jelly-bean-update-arrives-in-poland-1099245

Samsung have also confirmed that it's gradually being rolled out in other markets.

OMG yes! And battery life and speed on this thing is already killer!

SamMobile reports improved battery performance and a smoother operation thanks to Project Butter on its updated Samsung Galaxy S3, as well as a tweaked settings menu, new notifications bar and the addition of Google Now.

So I'm getting this phone tomorrow, should I update to the official TouchWiz JB or use something like CM10 straight away?

Wait for official TouchWiz JB imo.

 

[Dead Prince]

so close i can taste it. hope it won't be long to hit the US market.

 

[Gibbo]

If anyone is using Apex Launcher, don't update to the latest version! It's borked and the app is receiving a bunch of 1 star reviews from unhappy users. It'll be fixed, I'm sure, but for now disable auto-update for that app.

Apparently the JB update for the S3 has started rolling out too, beginning in Poland.

Quoting this again. I updated mine and I can't even start the app now.

 

[Slizz]

Quoting this again. I updated mine and I can't even start the app now.

Had mine on auto-update, pretty annoying.

 

[PaulLFC]

How is the S3 bugs-wise? I have an S2 and while I like it, it was quite buggy in the past, and even on the latest update there are still some bugs. Is the S3 similar, or bug-free?

 

[Opus Angelorum]

If anyone is using Apex Launcher, don't update to the latest version!

Just came to post this, had to switch to another launcher for the meantime.

 

[Altazor]

If anyone is using Apex Launcher, don't update to the latest version! It's borked and the app is receiving a bunch of 1 star reviews from unhappy users. It'll be fixed, I'm sure, but for now disable auto-update for that app.

Apparently the JB update for the S3 has started rolling out too, beginning in Poland.

phew, thanks for the heads-up! I disabled auto-updates so I'll wait for a stable new release.

 

[surly]

How is the S3 bugs-wise? I have an S2 and while I like it, it was quite buggy in the past, and even on the latest update there are still some bugs. Is the S3 similar, or bug-free?

I can't say I've noticed any bugs. Can you give me a couple of examples of the bugs you experience on the S2?

 

[Kyoufu]

How do you disable auto updates for specific apps? I can't find the option in Applications Manager.

Go to Play Store and access the app through that, should have a check-box that says "Allow Auto-Updating"

Thank you sir.

 

[Slizz]

How do you disable auto updates for specific apps? I can't find the option in Applications Manager.

Go to Play Store and access the app through that, should have a check-box that says "Allow Auto-Updating"

 

[Opus Angelorum]

Whilst in the Store go into Settings and make sure 'Auto-Update by default' isn't ticked either.

 

[surly]

Here is a link for an APK of Apex Launcher 1.2.5: -

http://apex.anddoes.com/Download.aspx

That's the version that was released before the latest update, in case you've inadvertently updated and would like to go back.

Just in case a mod sees this - that's just the free version that you could get in the Play Store, so I hope it's OK to post it. It's not a pirated version of the paid-for app, as that works via a separate unlocker that you need to pay for and download.

 

[PaulLFC]

I can't say I've noticed any bugs. Can you give me a couple of examples of the bugs you experience on the S2?

That's good news.

There were a couple, mostly Wi-Fi related. Until the latest update, it used to freeze when turning on Wi-Fi, and I'd have to restart the phone to get it to connect. That's fixed now, but it will still randomly drop all signal in an area with coverage sometimes, needing a restart to pick up the signal again. Since the update it also disconnects Wi-Fi after Guardian Anywhere has downloaded the latest news articles - that could be the app's fault, but it used to work fine before Samsung's update.

 

[Superimposer]

Yeah man! Here's an article about it: -

http://www.techradar.com/news/phone...3-jelly-bean-update-arrives-in-poland-1099245

Samsung have also confirmed that it's gradually being rolled out in other markets.

Fuck. I was prepared to wait weeks but now I'm massively impatient.

 

[SouthernDragon]

How is the S3 bugs-wise? I have an S2 and while I like it, it was quite buggy in the past, and even on the latest update there are still some bugs. Is the S3 similar, or bug-free?

Minimal problems on my end, though I've owned it for 3 days now.

 

[marrec]

Fuck. I was prepared to wait weeks but now I'm massively impatient.

US market will probably still have to wait until October. *pessimist*

 

[snap0212]

Whilst in the Store go into Settings and make sure 'Auto-Update by default' isn't ticked either.

Are there any downsides (privacy issues or something like that) to having auto update enabled or is it just for cases where the update breaks the app?

 

[Swag]

Just updated to Official JB using that Poland firmware, enjoying it a lot so far. Not sure how well Google Now will work in South Africa, but it gave me a few cards already.

Project Butter even though the S3 was already smooth, just made it so much smoother, that was the one issue I had coming from an iPhone 4S, it felt smoother, but with JB it's on par. The expanded notifications are great, especially with e-mails.

The update process was pretty smooth, was a bit wary at first but after going through it, I'm really interested in exploring some of the custom ROMs now.

 

[surly]

Are there any downsides (privacy issues or something like that) to having auto update enabled or is it just for cases where the update breaks the app?

Nope.

When an update for an app comes out and auto-update is turned on, if the permissions have not changed, the app will be automatically updated. If the permissions have changed, the app will show up in the manual download list instead, where you will have to accept the new permissions before it downloads and installs. In that instance, any new permissions will have the word "new" next to them in green, so you can see the changes and decide if you want to go ahead or not.

 

[Zoe]

Are there any downsides (privacy issues or something like that) to having auto update enabled or is it just for cases where the update breaks the app?

Well I'm avoiding auto-update in things like movie players cause DTS support was removed from all of them earlier in the year.

 

[marrec]

Just updated to Official JB using that Poland firmware, enjoying it a lot so far. Not sure how well Google Now will work in South Africa, but it gave me a few cards already.

Project Butter even though the S3 was already smooth, just made it so much smoother, that was the one issue I had coming from an iPhone 4S, it felt smoother, but with JB it's on par. The expanded notifications are great, especially with e-mails.

The update process was pretty smooth, was a bit wary at first but after going through it, I'm really interested in exploring some of the custom ROMs now.

Sounds pretty sweet. I've actually just bought the phone a few days ago and can't imagine it getting much more responsive. (There is some noticeable lag when launching a few applications, but nothing I haven't seen on any other Smartphone). I'm VERY interested in Google Now and how it will stack up. Are there any detailed breakdowns of how well it works?

 

[SUPREME1]

What are the major differences (if any) between the S3 and the Evo LTE 4G?

 

[JayDub]

More data worries on my end before I make my decision:

On Android, specifically the S3, are there separate data-related permissions I can assign the phone for wifi and cellular data? I dont want random actions/apps taking up data.

Example:
Dont auto-update on cellular

If there is, what other options are available?

 

[surly]

More data worries on my end before I make my decision:

On Android, specifically the S3, are there separate data-related permissions I can assign the phone for wifi and cellular data? I dont want random actions/apps taking up data.

Example:
Dont auto-update on cellular

If there is, what other options are available?

There is an option to auto-update apps only via Wi-Fi.

If you set up a free Samsung account, there is a cloud backup option that will automatically backup selected items once a day. This only works when the phone is connected via Wi-Fi.

There's a Wi-Fi only option for updating the phone's firmware.

Any other stuff is gonna be app-specific, so for instance I use the SoundCloud app and that has an option to only sync items over Wi-Fi as it can use a lot of data. Another example is Dropbox. I have that set to automatically upload the photos I take only when the phone is connected via Wi-Fi as the files can be reasonably large (when you have a bunch of photos anyway).

There's a Data Usage option in settings where you can see a graph of data usage, set the day of the month where you want the count to begin from, and you can set a level where a warning will appear and a level where mobile data will be disabled to prevent you going over the limit and getting extra charges. Not really what you asked about, but it's handy for keeping a tab on things.

 

[JayDub]

There is an option to auto-update apps only via Wi-Fi.

If you set up a free Samsung account, there is a cloud backup option that will automatically backup selected items once a day. This only works when the phone is connected to Wi-Fi.

There's a Wi-Fi only option for updating the phone's firmware.

Any other stuff is gonna be app-specific, so for instance I use the SoundCloud app and that has an option to only sync items over Wi-Fi.

Awesome. All other data-restricting options are app specific? Accessed via the app itself? In your experience, are there anything I should do to manage my data better?

 

[VPhys]

Not an apple or android fanboy ( I own and use both) , but I find it hilarious at all of the people in the iPhone thread being wowed by LTE. Welcome to 2010.

 

[SUPREME1]

Not an apple or android fanboy ( I own and use both) , but I find it hilarious at all of the people in the iPhone thread being wowed by LTE. Welcome to 2010.

Ther were happy to wait so Apple could 'do it right'!


Lmao.

 

[equap]

you think it's possible to trade in my Verizon Galaxy Nexus for a Verizon S3??

 

[diehard]

Not an apple or android fanboy ( I own and use both) , but I find it hilarious at all of the people in the iPhone thread being wowed by LTE. Welcome to 2010.

ahh yes, 2010.. when there was no LTE in America.

 

[surly]

Awesome. All other data-restricting options are app specific? Accessed via the app itself? In your experience, are there anything I should do to manage my data better?

Yep, you go into the app or widget's settings and you'll find the options there. A couple of examples: -

Weather widget - You might use a clock widget that also displays the weather, or a weather forecast widget. This will update at a set interval and you can change how often this happens, which will usually include a "manual" option where you have to tap a refresh button to force an update.

Flipboard - Again, you have options for setting the update frequency including a manual option. On the widget itself is a little refresh button that you can tap to pull in the latest data. There is also a "read later" option in Flipboard, so you can cache articles to read where you have no connection - also useful for saving mobile data.

If you wanna get really crazy with it, you can use an app called Tasker, which allows you to automate tasks. If you Google it, you'll get an idea of the things you can do with it, but for instance, you could set it to automatically change Flipboard's update frequency to every hour when you're connected to Wi-Fi, but set it to manual when you're not - things like that.

Also, if you check my edit to my last post, you'll see that I mentioned the Data Usage feature, so once you have the phone set up how you like you can monitor things to see how much data is being used, then make adjustments as necessary if you find that you're using too much. When I got my first Android phone I filled the screens with all kinds of widgets, all set to pull in data every 15 minutes - not a good idea for either battery life nor data usage, lol.